Bedtime Stories
by frozentreats.chocolatesweets
Summary: Taking place after their first battle against the Nightmare King, Katherine and Nightlight are doing their regular routine before bed. Trying to advance in their friendship, Nightlight tries something new that is soon added to their nightly schedule and causes North's inner 'big brother' to kick into overdrive. All characters belong to William Joyce and the Guardians Of Childhood


_He's starring again. _

Glancing up from my book, Nightlight turned his head away as if he was just looking around.

Letting out a small chuckle, I turned my attention back to my story book that was to be for the children of Santoff Claussen. There was so many thinks that I wanted to tell them, and as soon as Ombric mentioned sending a package to the children, I instantly went to learn a spell that would make my drawings and words come to life.

_Nightlight is a great hero._ I wrote then turned the page to continue.

_He was once the protector of the Man in the Mo-. _My thoughts were interrupted when a light was shining over the page.

It was Nightlight!

_He must have moved from his perch while I was writing. _

I didn't let his presences stop me from writing, so I continued while he stood behind my chair and watched me write about him._ Nightlight and I found Ombric and North in the high Himalayas._ I wrote nicely then glanced up to the boy just in time to see him glow bright and smile at what had been written. Gesturing for me to continue the tale, Nightlight took a seat beside me at the table and rested the Moonbeam dagger against the table.

"I'm almost done the first chapter," I stated in casual tone. "Then we can go outside." I finished with a warm smile.

Nightlight just nodded with a small smile on his face while the Moonbeam flashed with happiness.

Dipping my quill back into the ink, I started to tell how Nightlight brought the army of Moonbeams and Yetis, I also drew a very nice picture of us all standing at the Lunar Lamadary and explained who the Man in the Moon was. Remembering at how much I missed the children I wrote a little message to them before telling the about my baby Himalayan Snow Goose who thinks that I'm her mother.

Glancing back to the spectral boy, I flushed slightly at how close he was now.

I must have been too concentrated on writing that I didn't even notice that Nightlight shifted at least 3 feet closer to me in an attempt to see what I had been drawing.

"What do you think?" I asked when his eyes moved from the page to mine.

_He's staring again. _

Nightlight grinned then sat up straight in his chair and continued to watch me.

Closing my book, I stood up and was now walking to a shelf when I called to the spectral boy over my shoulder.

"Ready to go?" I asked once my book was back on the shelf and was now putting my coat on.

Nightlight just nodded while he grabbed his Moonbeam Dagger and walked over to meet me.

It was a regular night for me, I would write in my book for a while then eventually got outside with Nightlight until it was time for me to go to bed. While I spent most of my time in the huge library with my new found friend, both Ombric and North were off either learning new spells or asking the Lunar Lamas about their history. I have been at the Lunar Lamadary for a few weeks now, and since the battle against the Nightmare King, Nightlight and I have become good friends. Even though he never spoke a word to me, we've still managed to become friends.

Every night he would watch me write from his perch up on top of the tallest book shelf in the library and as soon I was finished we would go outside. Thanks to the spectral boy's naturally glowing skin, it was fairly easy for me to see him and even more handy when Nightlight would fly off and try to sneak up on me.

It wasn't till I lightly tugged on the library's large moon shaped doors that Nightlight stopped me.

Placing his hand of mine, he stopped me from pulling the door open.

"Nightlight?" I quested in a nervous tone.

"Nightlight, what's wrong?" I continued as I looked around the room.

Realizing that he was still holding my hand, he loosened his grasp and let my hand fall back to my side.

He shook his head. Nothing.

"So what we waiting for?" I started as I pushed past him and pulled the door open.

"I beat Moonbeam wants to play tag." I stated while holding the door open for Nightlight to follow.

Turning his attention back to me, he smiled and grew brighter, soon following me out the library. Walking down the hall, we followed our usual path through the Lunar Lamadary and were heading for the front door to go outside. On our way over to the exit, we passed a room where I could hear Ombric and North chatting. Peeking my head I could see both men standing over a map that was covered with several instruments and different types of writing utensils.

"Nightlight and I are going outside before bed." I stated drawing their attention away from the map.

"Katherine my dear, please do be careful." Ombric exclaimed as he shifted his staff from one hand to the other.

"You've got your knife?" Questioned North in his heavy Russian accent.

Pulling my coat back to reveal my dagger that was strapped to my hip, I nodded at the Cossack Ruffian who just smiled in response.

"See you all in the morning!" I chirped while returning back to the hallway.

"Good night" They called in unison as I ran to catch up with the spectral boy who was now leaning against his staff waiting for me.

As a slowed down and drew closer to Nightlight, North spoke loud enough for me to hear. Almost as if he wanted to say it to me, but wasn't brave enough too.

"Should Katherine be alone with that 'Night boy? I don't like it." North spoke in his heavy accent.

_What?_

"You ready?" I asked trying to ignore North's words.

Nightlight nodded and the Moonbeam flickered in excitement.

"Race you outside?" I encourage even though he would always won.

He shook his head. No.

"Why not? Afraid I'll beat you?" I teased with my hands now on my hips.

Another shake of his head.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to outside?" I questioned as I took a step closer hoping to read his face for an answer.

_Just say something. _

Instead of talking, Nightlight summoned the Moonbeam out of the diamond point of his staff and let it float in his hand. He must have been telling the Moonbeam something through his thoughts, because not to long after being summoned, the little ball of Moonlight brightened with happiness and circled around him before flying down the hallway.

"What did you tell him?" I ask when the Moonbeam stopped halfway down the hall waiting for us.

Nightlight just grew brighter and gestured for me follow the floating ball of Moonlight.

Glancing between the spectral boy and his Moonbeam, I soon ran after the Moonlight only to have it float away from me whenever I got close enough to catch it.

"Come here!" I cheered as I followed the Moonbeam down the hall and into the main room where several Lamas and Yetis turned their attention to me as I ran past them.

"How odd," Said the Grand High Lama.

"…that a human…." Said another.

"…is playing…." Said a taller one.

"…with a Moonbeam…" finished the shortest Lama.

Too busy to respond to their comments, I pushed past two Yetis who currently chatting in their strange Yetis language. Still following the little floating ball of moonlight, I chased him to the centre of the room, where he then flew straight up a large column of stairs that would lead to a secret platform that was tucked close to the roof of the Lunar Lamadary.

"Now I've got you!" I shouted to the Moonbeam who just taunted me by glowing brighter.

_We're almost at the top, there's no way he'll be able to escape. _

Turning around the last curve before reaching the top of the Lunar Lamadary, I leapt forward in my last attempt to catch the light.

And I caught him.

"Finally!" I cheer then opened my hands to reveal the Moonbeam.

Peering into my hands, the small ball of Moonlight now had a pout on his face when he realized that I had won the game. Not too long after my hands were open, the Moonbeam flashed brighter and was now flying towards Nightlight who was-.

"Nightlight?" I exclaimed and stood up fast.

The Moonbeam just flow around the spectral boy's head then happily returned into Nightlight's diamond tip staff and continued to glow bright.

"Weren't you right behind me?" I questioned trying to think back when I first ran off.

He just shook his head. Turning towards me, the spectral boy smiled and was slightly bouncing on the stop, which seemed to be in excitement.

_Excited? Why?_

Without another word- if he did ever talk to me –he gestured to the rest of the secret room that I instantly recognized. It was another hiding spot that both Nightlight and myself found one day while exploring the huge building. From the time we found it, we've made several improvements to the crammed attic like room. It went from being a dust filled space to a comfortable room that was filled with several pillows and the floor was covered with a thick blanket. If I wasn't in the library or outside, North and Ombric would often find Nightlight and I up here, either reading stories or writing for the children of Santoff Claussen.

"What's going on?" I asked meeting his gaze.

_He's starring again. _

Before I could say anything else, Nightlight quickly flew over to me and grabbed my hand.

"What is it?" I questioned while trying to ignore my blushing cheeks.

Without farther explanation, Nightlight just lightly tugged on my hand and gestured for me to sit down on the mess of pillows and blankets. Letting my hand go, I laid down on my stomach and buried my face into the soft fabric. Glancing up to Nightlight, who was still standing, he motioned that he would be back in a few seconds, then left.

Shifting a few pillows underneath me, I propped myself up and used my hands to hold up my hands.

_I wonder where he went?_

As fast as he left, Nightlight was back. But now he was holding a book. My book.

"How did you find that?" I asked hoping that my hiding spot wasn't too obvious.

Without saying anything, the spectral boy just sat cross-legged in front of me and held the book out.

"Do you want me to read them? My stories?" I asked while slipping the book out from his hands.

He happily nodded with a bright grin only causing me to giggle at his new found excitement.

"Okay." I replied then open my book to the first page.

As I read the words off the pages, several of my drawings came to life and were now flying around the both of us. The more I read, the more my drawings would dance and float around us, creating the tale that I was telling. It was the story about how North, Ombric and Nightlight defeated the Nightmare King in the Himalayan Mountains. All around us there little drawings of Fearlings, Moonbeams and Yetis' that were reliving the story that I was reading from my book.

It wasn't until I started reading about Kailash that I noticed that Nightlight wasn't watching the drawings of the gosling, but watching me.

_He's starring again. _

Hiding my slight blush, I continued my story while I was desperately trying not to ignore that he was still staring at me, only causing my blush to thicken as the seconds past.

"And then I tucked Kailash into her nest and told her a bedtime story about all of you still she fell asleep." I murmured as the drawings started to slow and fade.

"The end." I stated in a small voice and looked up to peer at Nightlight.

When I looked over to Nightlight, he was too busy watching the last drawing of a Snow Goose flying, to notice me silently staring at him and his great interest in my drawings.

I didn't snap out of my gaze, until Nightlight did something that I didn't think was possible.

"Well you read to me again?" He asked in an otherworldly voice.

I did a double take before I actually understood that Nightlight was talking. Talking to me. To me!

Without a second thought, I jumped up from my seat and was now staring down to him.

"Y-you spoke!" I shouted a little louder than I intended.

My shouting didn't help with anything because before I could even blink, Nightlight shot up fast and held his hands up in defence.

"S-sorry," I started then took a few steps back.

"So you can actually talk?" I asked in an innocent voice.

He nodded.

"Why don't you talk now?" I questioned when Nightlight went fell silent and started to use gestures again.

Nightlight just shrugged his shoulder and smiled warmly.

"You want me to read to you?" I asked remembering Nightlight's request.

He nodded again with a wide grin and he grew brighter.

"Sure!" I exclaimed and sat down in the mess of blankets.

Soon after, Nightlight lowered himself down on his stomach beside while I leaned up again the wall. Pulling one of the many books off the pile that was up the Lunar Lamadary's attic like room, I started to read a story about the Man in the Moon and what it was like for him living on the moon with Lunar Moths and Moon Bots. As the story continued, Nightlight eventually pulled himself forward so that by the end of the story, he head was happily resting in my lap.

Closing the book, I reached of a second one but stopped with I glanced down at the spectral boy, who seemed to be sleeping.

_I thought he didn't need to sleep. _

Placing the current on top of the pile of books, I stretched over Nightlight a started to blow out several candles before I grabbed a huge blanket and pulled it over my shoulders. With the room now only lite up from the glowing skin of Nightlight, I let myself start to fall sleep.

Just before I fell completely asleep, I hear Nightlight speak again in his unworldly voice, that I almost missed it.

"I prefer to speak whenever it's something very important."

Lightly smiling at what he had said, I silently wrapped my arms around Nightlight's back and hugged him causing him to glow brighter from the action. Staring down at the spectral boy on my lap in my sleeply gaze, I smiled one last time before I completely passed out from exhaustion. That night I dreamt of flying with Kailash and Nightlight and playing tag with the Moonbeams in the clouds. We would fly for hours, then return to our attic room and read for hours before falling asleep with piles of books surrounding us.

But my dreams were interrupted the following morning when I could hear North and Ombric arguing in the stairwell that lead up to the fabric covered room that both Nightlight and myself here sleeping in.

"I told you he was up to no good!" North half-yelled trying not to wake me up.

"No harm has be done," Ombric tried to reassure North in a soft voice.

As North and Ombric continued to shout in the stairwell, I could feel Nightlight nervously shift in my lap, causing me to pat his shouldered trying to calm him.

_What are those two fighting over?_

"Y'know what, I'm getting him!" North then stomped up the rest of the stairs and was instantly in the small room.

"North, you can't jus-." Ombric was easily cut off when North came busting into the room.

"North?" I questioned in a sleepy voice trying to sound as if I had just been woken up.

"You!" He pointed to Nightlight only causing the spectral boy to quiver.

"You're coming with me!" And without another word, North easily snatched Nightlight up by the back of his shirt and dragged him out of the room.

As Nightlight was being dragged by North, he smiled and quickly tossed me a small crumpled ball of paper.

"We need to have a little chat!" North exclaimed as he was now dragging Nightlight down the stairs.

Not too long after, Ombric entered the small room with an apologetic look.

"Good morning my dear Katherine, I'm sorry about North waking you up." The wizard said in a knowing voice.

"Why did North take Nightlight though?" I asked not understanding the situation.

"He thinks now is the right time to start acting like an adult." Stated Ombric.

"What do you me-." I started but was cut off.

"Well, I hope to see you at breakfast." Then Ombric left without another word.

"But, what abo-."

"Goodbye Katherine." He called from the stairs.

"See you later!" I called after him.

With no one currently in the room with me, I turned my attention to my ball of paper that Nightlight tossed to me before North hauled him out of the room.

_It's a…a note?_

As I continued to unfold the crumpled paper, I started to make out some words that were quickly scrabbled onto the paper before getting squished into a ball.

It was Nightlight's handwriting that read:

_See you tonight. _


End file.
